Wicker’s bipartisan bill to strengthen hurricane predictions, improve claims set to become law

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) recently commended U.S. Senate passage of his bipartisan bill to improve hurricane forecasting, flood mapping and storm damage claims across the nation. The bill now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

“I hope the new efforts authorized by my proposal will make a marked difference for communities that are affected by storms,” Sen. Wicker said on Dec. 17.

The Coordinated Ocean Observations and Research Act of 2020, S. 914, which Sen. Wicker sponsored in March 2019 with original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), would renew support for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ocean data collection network, which is used to predict hurricanes, and would improve the flood insurance claims process for homeowners who suffer total losses following a hurricane, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Wicker’s office.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 3 gave S. 914 approval and the Senate on Dec. 16 unanimously passed the measure, which now needs the president’s signature to make it law.

“After withstanding the most active hurricane season on record, our nation needs continued advances in tracking, measuring and reporting on the impact of severe weather and flooding,” Sen. Wicker said. “The Coordinated Ocean Observations and Research Act will build on our existing data collection efforts and help homeowners recover insurance funds when all that remains of their homes after a hurricane is a concrete slab.” 

The bill reauthorizes and makes targeted improvements to the national Integrated Ocean Observation System, which coordinates a network of people and technology to generate and distribute a continuous feed of standardized data, information, models, products, and services from the coastal and marine environment across the U.S., according to the bill summary.

Additionally, S. 914 also includes provisions to help NOAA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency implement Sen. Wicker’s COASTAL Act of 2012, which was written to help homeowners recover insurance funds for their property if losses could not be determined to be caused by wind or water, according to the lawmaker’s office.